LITTLE STUKELEY

[Transcribed and edited information from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868]

"LITTLE STUKELEY, a parish in the hundred of Hurstingstone, county
Huntingdon, 3 miles north of Huntingdon. The village is situated on the Great
North road, between two hills. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of
Ely, value £252. The church is dedicated to St. Martin. The parochial
charities produce about £14 per annum. There are two free schools,
supported by the Rev. J. H. Barber. Lady Olivia Barnard Sparrow is lady of
the manor.

The full 1841 Census of Little Stukeley is available as fiche set C117.

The full 1851 Census of Little Stukeley is available as fiche set C67.

A Surname Index of the 1881 Census of the Huntingdon Registration District, in which Little
Stukeley was enumerated (RG11/1604, Folios 90a - 96b), and which took place on 3rd April 1881,
is available, as fiche set C3.

A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Huntingdon Registration District (RG12/1237)
in which Little Stukeley was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, is also
available as Fiche C9.

The church of St Martin consists of a chancel with north chapel and south chapel, nave,
north aisle, south aisle, west tower and south porch. The walls are of rubble largely
faced with ashlar, but parts of the north aisle and chapel are of brick. The roofs are
covered with lead and tiles.

The church mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086 was probably of timber; Henry of
Huntingdon (who was the Archdeacon) is recorded to have built (or rebuilt) it in the
12th century. His building apparently consisted of a chancel and an aisless nave;
portions of the latter remain in the north-west, south-west and south-east responds
of the present nave. A large reset arch between the chancel and the north chapel probably
formed part of the chancel arch. One of the window heads has been built into the north
aisle walls, and a length of corbel-table has been reset at the top of the same walls.
The walls of the tower and the south aisle are largely built of 12th century stones,
and a quantity of loose stones of this date remain in the north chapel - some of which
exhibit the peculiar local form of six or more pallets of varying length (the longest
in the middle) overlapping a roll and hollow after the fashion of the beak-head.

That a north arcade and aisle were added to this church in the 13th century is witnessed
by the stones of this period still remaining in the north arcade. The western tower was
added towards the end of the 13th century, and early in the following century, the chancel
was rebuilt and widened, and a north chapel was added.

About 1500, the nave with its arcades and clearstory, together with the chancel arch, were
complely rebuilt. The south chapel, aisle and porch were also added and some alterations made
in the north chapel and aisles, and large buttresses added to the tower. Considerable works
were done in the latter half of the 17th century, the south porch was rebuilt in 1652, the
belfry in 1659, and the north aisle in 1673.

The north aisle was again rebuilt in 1887, when the north chapel was altered to form a vestry,
and the tower was repaired. the east wall of the early 14th century chancel was rebuilt with
old material in 1910.

The
Huntingdonshire Marriage Indexes
include marriages from this parish. These are, at present, issued in alphabetical listings in
series: 1601-1700, and 1701-1754, and are available from the
Huntingdonshire FHS.